A South Florida man was arrested after he stole an ambulance from a Broward County hospital because he said he "needed a car," authorities said.
Michael Michael Paul, 25, was arrested Sunday on charges of grand theft and operating a vehicle with a suspended license, according to a Broward Sheriff's Office arrest report.
BSO Fire Rescue officials said the ambulance was stolen from the emergency room area of North Broward Medical Center at 201 E. Sample Road in Deerfield Beach around 5:30 p.m. while the crew was inside after they had just transported a patient.
Paul had just been released from the hospital himself, officials said.
"They arrived at the hospital and unloaded a patient and as they were checking that patient into emergency, a patient who'd just been discharged decided to take off with the vehicle," BSO spokesperson Joy Oglesby said.
Authorities turned on the ambulance's GPS tracker and found it in the 5700 block of North Federal Highway, the report said. Paul, who was driving the ambulance, was taken into custody without incident, the report said.
Paul later told a detective that "he stole a red ambulance because he needed a car," the report said.
Paul appeared in court Monday where he was ordered held on $1,000 bond. Attorney information wasn't available.
